Dancing With the Stars Review: Bye to the Baywatch Beauty

The race for the mirror ball is tightening this week, with the group being pared down even more.  This week the stars will again perform two dances, and the battle for top spot is getting even closer.

Erin & Maks
This pair has managed to incur Len’s wrath lately.  They need to firm up their technique if they want to improve their scores.  They clash during rehearsal because Maks wants to rip his pants off as part of the routine.  Erin thinks it’s a risky move.  He ends up keeping the move, and it’s really no big deal; it’s not like he wasn’t wearing another pair of pants underneath.  Anyway, their Quickstep is impressive.  Erin is light on her feet, and of course the chemistry with Maks is always there.  Len said it was without doubt Erin’s best dance so far.  Bruno said it was brilliant.  Carrie Ann thought it was gorgeous and the lines were fantastic.  Carrie Ann: 9 Len: 9 Bruno: 9

Chad & Cheryl
Chad had a strong performance last week and hopes to get even better.  When he struggles with the Viennese Waltz during practice, Cheryl brings Tony in to help him.  Now that Kate has been sent home, Tony is permitted to give Chad a few pointers.  He uses football terminology to explain the technique and Chad has a breakthrough.  Their Waltz is beautiful and graceful.  I was surprised to see Chad move so fluidly, and he has really embraced the challenge of this competition.  He’s shown steady improvement in the last few weeks and the judges have been pleased with his performances.  Bruno couldn’t believe Chad could be so graceful.  He cautioned him to extend his lines fully, but overall he thought it was great.  Carrie Ann said that there is nothing sexier than watching a man find out how to be tender and graceful.  Len said Chad’s arms were full of fluidity and Chad became a contender this night.  While they await their scores, Cheryl shows off the birthday present Chad gave her: a diamond necklace.  Carrie Ann: 8 Len: 9 Bruno: 8

Nicole & Derek
Len slammed them last week, so they make extra effort to please him this time around.  They will be performing a Waltz to “You Light Up My Life,” a song that has special meaning to Nicole.  She is very close to an aunt who has Down’s Syndrome, and the song is her favorite.  Nicole is an outstanding dancer.  Derek has the freedom to basically choreograph anything he can imagine; she’s that good.  Their Waltz was refined and elegant, lovely to watch.  Carrie Ann said that Nicole is by far the best dancer they have ever had on the show.  She almost dances as Derek’s equal.  The movements were gorgeous, but she did not get as ‘lost’ in her partner as she should have.  Len loved the routine, and found just a few flaws.  Bruno said she was as close to dancing royalty as one could be.  He said she made a few mistakes, but they only stood out because her standard is so high.  Overall, he thought it was amazing.  Carrie Ann: 9  Len: 9 Bruno: 9

Pam & Damian
Pam knows she needs to refine her technique and is determined to do so.  She struggles with her hip connection during rehearsal, so Damian ties a hip band around their waists to force them to maintain the proper body contact.  Their Waltz is good, but it came on the heels of Nicole and Derek so it is not as good by way of comparison.  Len said it was more quiet and understated and that she needs to firm up her upper body. Bruno said she was pure and demure: the essence of romance.  She always gets the character right but she needs to work on some other areas.  Carrie Ann saw huge improvement and she loved the tone.  Carrie Ann: 8 Len: 8 Bruno: 8

Niecy & Louis
Niecy is still hanging in there.  She earned her highest scores to date last week, but still ended up in the bottom two.  Despite her incessant rally cry for “big girls” everywhere and assertion that she doesn’t want to lose weight, I can tell that Niecy is really slimming down.  Their Quickstep was great, as Niecy was surprisingly light on her feet.  The mood of their dance was fun and charming.  Bruno said she’s never looked more gorgeous and her footwork was better than ever.  Carrie Ann said everything worked well and she was impressively light on her feet.  Len said she needs to lift her ribcage more.  All three think it was her best dance yet.  Carrie Ann: 9 Len: 8 Bruno: 8

Evan & Anna
Mr. Perfect had an off night last week and needs to regain some ground.  To that end, he and Anna have ratcheted up the intensity during rehearsals.  Last week was his worst dance; this week he hopes for the best.  And boy did he deliver.  His Argentine Tango was crisp, forceful, and elegant.  He looked dashing and embodied the character perfectly.  His technique (as usual) was superb.  When he and Nicole perform you can really see why they are ahead of the pack, although this week everyone has turned in outstanding performances.  Carrie Ann said it was the perfect combination of power and control, it was sexy and she loved it.  Len said he knew Evan was nice on ice but didn’t know he’d be good on wood.  Bruno said he was the alpha male: aggressive, sexy and everything a girl would want.  Evan earns the first perfect score of the season: a perfect 30 with 10s across the board.

The stars again had to learn two dances this week.  An individual Waltz or Tango, plus a Cha Cha challenge involving team competition.  Nicole, Chad, and Pam are Team Gaga.  Evan, Niecy, and Erin are Team Madonna.  Each team’s group scores will be combined with their individual scores.

Team Gaga
This is a good group.  They decide to feature Pam first, followed by Chad, and end on a high note with Nicole.  There are individual and synchronized parts that feature the entire group.  They perform to Gaga’s “Telephone.”  Their choreography works well and the performance is sharp and fun to watch.  Len thought the parts in formation were great, and he can’t wait to see Nicole in an individual Cha Cha.  Bruno said Pam kept up with the pros and Chad turned up the heat.  Carrie Ann said that Pam struggled at certain points, but the sexual energy of the group makes them hard to beat.  The judges each give them a 9.

Team Madonna
They’ve got a tough act to follow.  They were more playful than the first team, performing a spirited routine to Madonna’s “Holiday.”  During rehearsal Evan needs help with his Cha Cha because he’s the only one who hasn’t done one yet.  Unfortunately they were not as sharp as Team Gaga and I noticed a few missteps when they were supposed to be dancing side by side, in sync.  Their performance was more fun but also a bit sloppier.  Bruno said it had a Samba feel.  He said they got out of sync towards the end and it really showed.  Carrie Ann thought their last stunt should have happened sooner.  Len said the stars were brave to start the dance on their own without any professionals, and they did a fantastic job.  8s across the board.

After all of the performances it looks like Evan and Nicole are back on top and tied for first, but this is the closest it has ever been among the contestants.  Now that the obvious weak links are gone, who will be eliminated next? Let’s find out.

RESULTS SHOW
This week is very interesting, because there isn’t much ground separating the top couple from the bottom couple.  All of the stars turned in wonderful dances, and everyone is really stepping their game up.  Whoever is sent home will be a loss for the competition.  I think Niecy and Pam are the weakest remaining dancers, but what do the voters think?  We learn fairly quickly that Erin, one of the stronger stars, is in the bottom two.  It’s awful to find out right away that you’re in the bottom two.  I don’t think Erin got a moment of peace until the final moments, when it was revealed that Pam would be joining her in the bottom two and ultimately was eliminated.  Pam was a solid competitor, but this result is basically fair.  It should have come down to her and Niecy rather than her and Erin, but in the end the right person went home.  Maybe if Erin were less annoying with Maks in rehearsal she would get more votes.  Something to think about!  This result was a just one, although I’ll miss what Pam brought to the competition.

Season 10, Week 7: Round 6 Performances and Results Show (originally aired May 3 and 4, 2010)

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Photographs courtesy of ABC, Adam Larkey